Zhang: “Tinesh was interested in finding out more about his heritage, so he did his senior year thesis about it. [By] turning this into a [film] through the Future of Our Pasts [Festival], I think we were looking at what different lenses we [could use] to look at [this issue] through.”

Indrarajah: “Where I’m from (Malaysia), when you say Rojak, you talk about it in terms of languages people speak – the mix of English, Malay, Mandarin or Tamil or how people articulate certain things. I think Rojak in this context shows how relationships are mixed. My parents’ relationship is also mixed, my mum who’s Chindian (ethnically part Indian, part Chinese) is also mixed.”

Zhang: “One of the lenses we’re looking at his heritage through is ‘what does heritage or cultural heritage mean when you are in a relationship with someone with a very different background and what does that look like carrying it forward?’.” 

“One thing we talked about in our film is how [accepting cultural differences] is not like colour blindness. [It’s not like] it doesn’t matter what another person’s background is. [The film] is about using that difference to enhance each other and enhance our own knowledge of our own backgrounds.”

Zhang: “I didn’t want to act like we are unique, because interracial and intercultural relationships have been happening forever. In Singapore it’s quite common. The reason we decided to employ this lens of looking at a specific cultural background is because it comes up in our own lives a lot, and I think it is something a lot of other people will be able to relate to.” 

"The point of this film isn’t to be like 'interracial, interethnic or intercultural relationships are the goal or are the right thing to do”, but to make a point that it can be normal. It doesn’t have to result in some kind of loss, or some kind of sacrifice.” 

“The purpose of looking at this lens, is showing that like, this can be you, or that the thought of marrying or being in a relationship with someone outside of your culture doesn’t need to be a zero-sum game.”

Indrarajah: “My Dad’s Hindu, my Mum’s Catholic. I’ve always [gone to] temples and churches…
…that has really helped in terms of how I navigate life–not putting people into boxes.” 

“Applying that Rojak lens on how we’ve grown up, [I’ve appreciated] people and diversity much more instead of thinking of diversity and inclusivity as my loss. [The film] is looking at this more as what you gain from mixed relationships.”

Zhang: “I knew early on in our relationship that she (Indrarajah’s cousin) didn’t approve of our relationship. She would encourage Tinesh to find someone who’s Ceylonese Tamil even while we were dating.” 

“At the time I would brush it off, like, ‘okay it’s family, that’s how they are’.
But then she talked about how the Ceylonese Tamils have such a small community in Singapore. That’s why [marrying within the same culture can be] so important, because if everyone is marrying out then you’ll lose [your lineage] – the idea of a zero sum game right?” 

“It hit me because I’ve never had to think about that because I’m Chinese, and there’s so many Chinese people in the world. Even if I think about Chinese Americans, there’s a really big population compared to the Ceylonese Tamils. So I think that’s something I took away – these fears can hold different weights based on different contexts.”

Indrarajah: “I think relationships and marriages will affect a whole section of society, as well as younger folks in terms of who their partners are going to be, and parents as well. How [younger folks] want to pass on their culture, who [parents] want their children to marry, and how their family lineage can continue. I think that relationships and marriage is central to any community, especially if it’s a smaller community of more specific cultural values.” 

“There’s a tendency or an appreciation that [parents] usually have [for you] to marry someone [from] the same race or same background. So having a mixed race relationship brings up this conversation of ‘why should I do so?’, and if you marry someone who’s not from your same particular background, what is it that you have to lose, what can you pass on, and what can you gain.”

Zhang: “I think that’s something we talked about a lot. In terms of having different backgrounds, [there’s] a very physical aspect of it in that we are from different places. Our families are based in two places that are around the world from each other.” 

“I think we’re very lucky and we’re very privileged to be educated, and to have the ability to work in different places in terms of the jobs we’re looking at – not feeling tied down to one country or another. I guess that’s why it’s up in the air for us. But yeah, I think we’ll see where it goes.”